Voice communications have become an important factor in increasing the productivity of modern day business concerns. Newly developed voice communication systems, including voice messaging and call delivery systems, have allowed the efficient transfer of information without the need of paperwork or specialized computer equipment. These systems have become more expanded in scope, such that the number of subscribing users able to link up to a particular system as well as the number of convenience features available have both significantly increased. Research and development efforts continue, however, in search of new ways to increase the efficiency of voice communication systems while at the same time allowing such systems to be "user-friendly" to the average subscriber.
Even with the technical expansion of the voice communication industry, existing voice message and call delivery systems available on the market, still retain substantial inconveniences. One such inconvenience is encountered when a subscriber receives a voice message from a calling party and desires to promptly answer it with a return direct telephone call. In currently available voice communication systems, the subscriber must exit the voice messaging system in order to place a direct dial outside telephone call. The subscriber is therefore faced with the choice of either listening to all his voice messages and then exiting the system to make the required outside telephone call, or immediately leaving the voice communication facility, making the telephone call and then reentering the voice communication system to retrieve the remaining voice messages. Neither of these options is very efficient. In the first option, the subscriber may need to write down the name and number of the calling party so that the information will not be forgotten during the period in which the remaining messages are being retrieved. In the second option, the subscriber must subject himself to the entire process of reentering the system, which may include regaining access through the associated security steps as well as retracing through the system menus and associated command inputs to reach the stored information.
Another significant disadvantage with presently available voice communication systems is encountered when a voice message is deposited in the voice mailbox of another subscribing user. In this case, the message may remain in the voice mailbox for an undesirable long period of time until finally retrieved by the called party. This problem becomes acute when important information must be delivered and it is difficult or impossible for the calling subscriber to continue to try and establish direct contact. One means of alleviating this problem is to direct the voice mail system to automatically and periodically query the telephone of the called party until a recorded voice message can be directly delivered. This system is efficient as long as the called party returns to the area of the telephone within a reasonable period of time. Otherwise, the extension will be queried without avail.
Thus, a voice communication system is needed which provides a more efficient use of the communication system.